NEW YORK, NOVEMBER, 1877. 
MY WINDOW GARDEN. 
No novelty in this subject, surely ; for your readers 
are often treated to descriptions of window gardens. 
But they almost all tell of spacious bay-windows, 
tilled with costly plants and expensive wardian cases, 
very beautiful and very interesting to read about, 
but offering few suggestions to us poorer people. 
Indeed, I think them rather discouraging, as they tend 
to make the inexperienced think such things necessary 
to success, and that there is little or no use trying, 
as not one woman in twenty possesses such luxuries. 
A few more look forward to having a bay-window 
when the farm is paid for, or the new house built, 
while a great many more, like myself, feel that they 
must be content to get the house with ordinary win¬ 
dows ; and to such, perhaps, my window garden may 
furnish some hints that will be of value. My sitting- 
room has one window facing south, five feet long, 
coming within two feet of the floor. In front of this, 
on a level with the window-sill, I had a shelf put up, 
twelve inches wide, and extending eight inches beyond 
the window on either side, making it three and a half 
feet long, supported by wooden brackets at each end, 
and by a small iron bar fastened to edge of shelf in 
centre, and extending backward to base-board. This 
I had inclosed by a board six inches wide, finished 
around the top with molding, and painted like the 
rest of the room. This shelf was furnished with a 
tin bottom, doubling up about an inch. When it was 
ready for the plants, I also placed, a little above the 
middle of the window, small iron brackets that can be 
bought at any hardware store for about forty cents. 
These hold a shelf eight inches wide, and about eight 
inches shorter than the lower one; and in the ceiling, 
eighteen inches out from centre of window, is a small 
hook to hold hanging basket. Now come the plants. 
In each end I put a pot containing Madeira vine, 
which is trained up each side to top of window, thence 
to hook, forming many festoons on its way, and 
making a beautiful frame for the whole. In the centre 
is a large Calla; on either side stands a lustre and a 
speciosa Fuchsia, my favorite flower, and well do they 
deserve the name; with good soil and ordinary care 
they will blossom ten months of the twelve. Then 
follow Geraniums, single and double Roses and Calceo¬ 
larias. With judicious packing, I can make the shelf 
hold twenty-four pots, from four to six inches in 
diameter, too close for symmetrical specimens ; but it 
gives a mass of leaves and blossoms more effective for 
the whole than if they were not so close. On each 
corner of the box is a little board, fastened securely, 
as a foundation for the prettiest specimens I possess. 
A low-growing Fuchsia or dwarf Veronica make nice 
plants for this position ; and in all the pots I put 
slips of Tradescantia, or Wandering Jew, as it is com¬ 
monly called here, which nearly carpets them, and 
trails over the edges, forming a lovely finish. In 
center of upper shelf I have a small orange-tree, 
which reaches to the ceiling ; on either side is grouped 
miscellaneous plants, according to size and contrast 
of foliage. Then comes my basket. This has a 
white Begonia in the centre, and the indispensable 
Wandering Jew around the edge, which has grown 
at least six feet long. I have looped these up around 
the basket until it is one ball of green. 1 forgot to 
say the pots in the upper tier were also covered with 
Wandering Jew, which I kept short, so it grows 
thick, and nearly hides the pots, and helps the gen¬ 
eral appearance very much. I think I can safely say 
mine is the prettiest window of its size I ever saw, 
and the expense is very small. I have used this 
arrangement for two years, and the only change I 
would make would be to hang the basket farther from 
the window, as the vines tangle among the leaves of 
the plants, and render it difficult to move them with¬ 
out breaking the foliage. With regard to winter 
treatment when arranged so close to glass, at night I 
close the blinds, and slip a newspaper behind the 
plants. As the blinds are calculated to open from 
the inside, which would necessitate moving the plants 
each morning to open the window, I fastened a string 
to the catch, which I passed up through the slats to 
the outside ; so, by pulling this, I can open quickly 
from the outside. Where there are no blinds, I find 
paper flour-sacks, pasted together and furnished with 
loops to fasten to casing with, are an excellent pro¬ 
tection. Now, a word about pots. As they are hid¬ 
den from view, it does not matter so much about looks, 
and I find the two pound tin fruit-cases excellent for 
Fuchsias and Roses, as the rust does not injure these 
plants. Indeed, I think it a benefit to roses, and I 
think a very good fertilizer is furnished them by 
sprinkling a few iron flyings from the blacksmith shop 
on top of soil, or by placing one or two rusty nails in 
the dirt. Just a little of it, as too much would be 
injurious, as it is of any fertilizer. I think it bright¬ 
ens the hue of the flowers considerably, and gives a 
darker tint to the foliage. 
COMPLIMENTS TO THE FLORAL 
CABINET. 
The following are hut a few out of thousands of letters received 
where the writers express their admiration for the Floral Cabinet. 
Our new readers will judge from these opinions what the old readers, 
who have taken it for years, think: 
It is as welcome as spring flowers, as reviving as a quiet shower, 
as pleasant as a friend’s visit fin short, is essential to my happiness.” 
“ We are taking a great number of papers, but would gladly give 
them all up to retain the Cabinet.” 
“ Dear Editor of Floral Cabinet: You wish to know how the 
Cabinet is liked. I can speak for myself and several of mv friends 
that I have heard express their opinions. I can but say, with your 
English friend, it is the purest and best of all the periodicals that I 
subscribe for, and if I could have but one, it surely would be the 
Cabinet: and as to enlarging it, and in regard to increasing the 
price, I shall continue to take it if it is increased in price to double 
its present low price it is published for. I feel that I cannot say 
enough in praise for the Cabinet for myself and friends. It always 
has been and always will be a welcome visitor to me, and I hope to 
manv others. l 'M. L. Fisher.” 
“ I am much pleased with the Cabinet, it is a welcome visitor, and 
I do not see how I could do without it. It is the sweetest home-paper 
I ever saw, and I trust the time shall soon come when it will be found 
in every household. I only add these few lines in honest praise of 
our dear Cabinet. “ Minnie E. Berp.y.” 
‘■The Cabinet is so admirable in every respect I scarcely know 
where to imagine any improvement. It is a perfect sunbeam to me, 
and I only wish it came every week, so eagerly do I devour and 
digest it. "Mrs. K.'s. Truslow, Kanawha C. H„ Va ” 
“My house would not be complete without our treasure. The 
Floral Cabinet. Indeed we should all think the new year not 
commenced aright were we to be robbed of so much sunshine as your 
beautiful paper brings to the entire household. 
“ Mrs. H. N. 8 ., Deerfield, Mass.” 
PUBLISHER’S ANNOUNCEMENTS. 
Treasures of Garden and Woodland.— This is the title 
of our illuminated Floral Frontispiece for 1S78. It is the most 
perfect specimen of floral illustration ever produced in the 
United States It is of the same size as “ Gems of the Flower Gar¬ 
den,” but while that contained flowers in profusion, this is more artis¬ 
tic in its collection of brilliant Autnmn Leaves. Ferns, Hoses, etc. 
Subscribers will find it well worthy of appreciation. Club agents 
will find it a decided help in obtaining subscribers for The Floral 
Cabinet, and an advance proof will be sent for agents’ purposes for 
25 cents, which can he deducted when club is made up; but the 
Frontispiece itself cannot be sent to subscribers until the January 
No. of Cabinet is issued. The rules of the post office department 
limit it to the January No. If sent with any other number there 
would be extra postage. 
New Books. —Lovers of beautiful household books should not 
forget the announcements we made last month of some splendid ad¬ 
ditions to our series of household books. They are really charming, 
and full of multitudes of hints how to improve your homes. “ Beau¬ 
tiful Homes” will he ready about Nov. 20; “Evening Amusements,” 
Dec. 1. All the others are now ready. 
Get up a Club, Price Reduced.— Where any person will 
raise a club of 5 subscribers at $1.20 each, with $6 00, a fitli copv extra 
will he sent free to club agent, or a club of 6 may join together and 
the 6 copies sent to one address for $6.00. Members of clubs desir¬ 
ing the Floral frontispiece, will each remit 10 cents additional. 
1 o any one raising a club of 3 at $1.20 or $1 .30. will be given one of 
the following: The Ladies’ Guide to Needle Work, Embroidery, 
Knitting,” etc.; “ Every Woman Her Own Flower Gardener;"” 
“Household Hints and Recipes;” “The Home of Washington,” 
steel plate engraving; “Fret-Sawing for Pleasure and Profit.”"" 
A club of 4 — to a Pocket-Book, with your name engraved in gold. 
A club of 10 will entitle club agent to both extra copy of paper 
free, and one of the-abovc books, or engraving. 
A club of 15 will entitle club agent to both extra copy of paper free, 
and one of the following books: “Beautiful Home's, or Hints in 
House - Furnishing; ” “Household Elegancies;” “Ladies’ Fancy 
Work;” “Window Gardening,” or a Pocket-book, with your name 
in gold, worth $1.5 1 The Cabinet Collection of Balsams, worth 
$2.00; The Cabinet Collection of Gladiolus, worth $15.00. 
Beautiful Music.— Back numbers of The Floral Cabinet 
contain dozens of splendid pieces of music, charming home songs 
and melodies. Not one of them is poor. Not one could be bought 
in a music store for less than 40 cents Buy the hack numbers, they 
are rich in merit, music, pictures, and reading. 
Back Volumes.— New subscribers, who are pleased with The 
Floiiai. Cabinet, will find in back volumes an immense fund ot 
delightful reading, pictures, and the choicest of family music; there 
are single pieces of music so sweet and charming as lo he alone 
worth the price for a volume. We will club these together with sub¬ 
scription for 1878. as follows: 
$2.00 will pay for subseription 1S78, the, steel plate engraving, and all 
the back numbers of 1S77, January to September. 
3.00 will include the above and volume for 1S76. 
4.00 “ “ “ “ 1875. 
5.00 “ “ “ “ 1874. 
6.00 “ “ “ “ 1873. 
Bound volumes for each year will cost 65 cents for each volume in 
addition to above prices. 
Gardening. — All interested in gardening, floriculture, plants, 
trees, shrubs, fruits, greenhouses, etc , will find the Gardeners 
Monthly and Horticulturist very desirable. Only 30 cents on 
trial three months. $2.10 per year. 
“ Floral Cabinet” for Half Price.— Any one sending a 
club of 3 subscribers to Cabinet for one year will be entitled to a 
4th copy of Cabinet one year for half price. 
NEW AND NOVEL PRIZES. 
Desirous of encouraging the beautiful in household art and home 
life, we. offer this fall a series of Prizes which have never been offered 
before in this country. 
1. The Prettiest Flower Garden —To any one forwarding 
us best sketch, or view, or photograph of their flower garden, or 
garden decorations, we will give, 1st prize, $15; 2d prize, $10; 3d 
prize, $5. The sketch to be accompanied with description. 
2. Prettiest Window Garden. —For prettiest sketch or 
view of the interior of a house, with window garden, will be given 
1st prize, $15; 2nd prize, $10: 3d prize, $5. 
3. Prettiest Floral Decorations— To any one sending pret¬ 
tiest sketch of floral design, decoration, or ornaments, will be given, 
1st prize, $15; 2nd prize, $10;>3d prize, $5. 
4. Prettiest View of House and Grounds, exterior.— 
To any one sending best sketches of pretty house, its exterior, 
and surrounding lawn, vines, arbors, etc. 1 st prize, $15; 2 d prize, $ 10 ; 
3d prize, $5. 
5. Prettiest Home, interior— We desire pretty sketches or 
views of the interiors of charming houses, parlors, sitting-rooms, bed¬ 
rooms. halls, and the various ways to ornament and decorate them. 
1st prize, $15: 2nd prize, $10 : 3d prize, $5. 
These sketches, views, or photographs of interior scenes, to be sent 
to us before December 25th, when the prizes will be awarded in 
January, and the Prize Illustrations will be published in The 
Cabinet for the coming year, making, we believe, the most attractive 
volume ever published. The views of outdoor scenes may be sent 
before July next. 
Ladies who cannot draw, can find some friend who can, or they 
can get photographer tc visit the house, and photo.rapli it f eely. 
The sketch should be accompanied with description, and we will 
welcome all sketches of any kind which relate to the decoration of the 
home in any way, out-doors or in-doors. 
Special Offer. Seeds. Bulbs.— The special offer in Octo¬ 
ber Cabinet of $3.00 worth of seeds and bulbs,and one of our $1.50 
hooks, or the Cabinet one year, as a premium, is the finest offer ever 
made. You should improve the opportunity. You can remit the 
money now, obtain our certificate, and then procure the seeds, etc., 
at any time before June 1st next, 1878. You are not obliged to select 
them" now. 
